HISTORY TIP OF THE DAY

Judas betrays Jesus, 30 AD

Jesus has yet to publicly announce that he is the Christ. But he has enraged the religious leaders. So Judas decides to force Jesus’s hand. If Jesus is arrested and then declares himself to be the Christ, he will have no problem saving himself from the high priests. Judas finds the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest and the most powerful Jewish leader in Jerusalem. “What are you willing to give me if I hand over Jesus to you?” Judas asks. “Thirty silver coins,” comes the reply. This is the equivalent of four to six months’ wages for a laborer.